2009 AUDI S3 checking oil

Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Engine cold
As long as the needle remains at the left end of the gauge, the
engine still has not reached its operating temperature . Avoid high
engine speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy throttle.
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating temperature, the needle
will move into the middle of the gauge and remain there. If the engine is working hard at high outside temperatures, the needle
may turn further to the right. This is no cause for concern as long as
the
_ f_ warning light in the instrument cluster does not illuminate.
When the
-L warning light starts to flash, this can mean one of two
things: either the coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant
level is too low=> page 30.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in => page 217, "Engine compart ­
ment" before opening the engine hood and checking the engine
coolant level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera ­
tures or high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then over ­
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for assistance. •
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge works only when the ignition is on.
When the needle reaches the red area, the warning light in the
instrument cluster will illuminate=>
page 32 I). This means you
have approximately 1.8 gallons (7 liters) of fuel left in the tank.
Time
to refuel!
The total tank capacity of your vehicle is listed in=> page 300,
"Data".
0 Note
Never run the tank completely dry! An irregular supply of fuel can
cause engine misfiring and fuel could enter into the exhaust
system. The catalytic converter could then overheat and be
damaged .•
Speedometer with odometer
The speedometer shows you the vehicle speed, and the
odometer shows you how many miles (kilometers) you
have driven.
Fig. 4 Speedometer
close-up : odometer
display
The odometer and trip odometer are located inside the speedom­
eter.

Driver information display
low oil level warning . By then , your engine may alre ady have
suffered seriou s damage. •
Applies to vehic les: w ith eng in e spee d lim itat ion
Engine speed limitation 1<
Engine speed ma ximum XX.XX RPM
The J symbo l illuminate s when there is an engine cont rol malfunc ­
tion . T he indicator l ight
..J., in the instrument cluster also illum i­
nates. The engine speed is limited to the speed displayed in the
d river in for mation system. Keep in mind tha t the engine speed w ill
not exceed the va lue displayed in the driver information system, for
example when downshifting.
Please go to an authorized Audi dealer or other qua lified workshop
to have the ma lf u nct ion re paired. •
Fuel supply too low
When th e L symbol illuminates, this mea ns th ere are about 2 .6
gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the fuel tank . Time to refuel!
~ p age 220 .
If the symbol l ights up, eve n when there is ample fuel in the tank,
and the text
Tank system malfunction! Please contact workshop
appears i n the d is pl ay, ther e is a fau lt in the syste m. C ontac t a qual ­
ified workshop to have the fault rectified. •
Checking the engine oil level .2'..
~ Please add max. 1 qt of engine oil!
If th e sy mbol co mes o n, a dd 1 q uart (1 lit er) of oil a t the next
opportunity~
page 230 . •
Checking the engine oil level ~
When the symbol illuminates, c heck the engine oil level as soon
as po ssi ble~
page 22 9. Top off t he o il at your ear liest o pp o rt un ity
~ page 230 . •
Engine oil sensor defective ...
If the -symbol illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dea ler
an d h ave the oil se nso r ins pected. •
Worn brake pads
-Brake pads!
If the warn ing light illuminates, immediate ly contact your autho ­
riz ed Aud i dea ler o r qua lifi ed worksh op to have all bra ke pads
inspected. On USA models the warning light comes on together
with the wa rning ligh t
BRAKE . Both sets of brake pads on an ax le m ust
a lways be replaced at the same time .
& WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a collision and serious personal
injury.
• If the warning light
C. and the warning l ight BRAKE1l with the
message Brake pads! comes on in the in strument cluster display ,
immediately conta ct your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop to have all brake pads checked or replaced if necessary .•
1 1 BRAK£ : USA mod els only

___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_n _g _ a_n _d_ f_il _li _n _g __ ffllll
•
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all schedu led maintenance
was performed in a time ly manner .•
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool ing of internal
engine components , all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significantly over the life of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break -in period (see~
page 197) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume af ter oi l
consumption has stabi lized .
Unde r normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on
the quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute)
at which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions . Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the o il. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump ­
tio n may increase over time unt il rep lacement of worn components
may become necessary.
W ith all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consu mption can be estab lished or specified. There is no a lternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yellow engi ne oil level warning symbol in the instrume nt
cluster lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as
poss ible
with the oil dipstick~ page 229 . Top off the oil at your
earliest convenience~
page 230.
& WARNING
Before you che ck anything in the eng ine comp artment , alw ay s
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 22 5.
0 Note
Driving with an insufficie nt o il level is l ikely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i ] Tip s
• The oil pressure warning displ ay ce,. is not an indi cat or of the oil
level . Do not rely on it. Instead , check the oil level in your engine at
regular interv als , prefe rably ea ch time you refuel , and always before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amoun ts of oil, we recommend that you consu lt your authorized
Audi dealer to have the cause of your concern proper ly diagnosed .
Keep in mind that the accura te m easuremen t of oil consumption
requires great care and may take some time . Your authorized Audi
dea ler has instructions about how to measu re oil consumption
accurately .•
Checking the engine oil level
Vehicle care I t •
Fig . 171 Dip sti ck
( V ersio n A):
Oil le vel
ran ges

-Checking and filling
P'N:1--------=-------------------
& WARNING
To reduce the ri sk of personal inju ry if you mu st change the engine
oil in your vehicle your self:
• Wear eye prote ction .
• To reduce the ri sk of bu rn s from hot engine oil , let the engine
c ool down to the tou ch .
• When remo ving th e oil dr ain pl ug w ith your fing ers, s tay a s fa r
a w ay as po ssibl e. Alw ays keep your forearm p arallel to the grou nd
to help prevent hot oil from running down your arm .
• Drai n the oil into a container de signed for th is purpose , one
l a rg e enough to hold at le ast the tot al a mount of oil in your eng ine .
• Engine oil is poi sonou s. Keep it well out of the rea ch of children .
• Continuous contact with used engine oil i s harmful to your
skin. Always prote ct your skin by wa shin g oil off thoroughly with
s oap and water .
0 Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil. These additives can
damage your engine and adversely affect your Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
~ For the sake of the environment
• Before changing your oil, first make sure you know where you
can proper ly dispose of the used oil.
• Always dispose of used engine oil properly . Do not dump it on
garden soil, wooded areas, into open st reams or down sewage
drains .
• Recycle used engine oi l by taking it to a used engine oi l collec ­
tion facility in your area, or contact a service station .•
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolan t perf orms two func tions: it keeps the
engine from overheating an d it protects the engine from
freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and general ly requires litt le attention.
The coo ling system has been fi lled at the factory with a permanent
coo lant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of
a mixture of water and the manufacturer's glycol -basedcoolant
additive G12+ + antifreeze with anti corrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian mode ls) . This mixture both assures the
necessary frost protection and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and scaling. It also raises
the boil ing point o f the coolant.
D o not reduce the concentration of the coo lant in the summer by
adding pla in water.
Th e proporti on of coolant additive must b e at
l e as t 50 % but not more than 60 %
to maintain antifreeze protection
and cooling efficiency . If the coolant frost protect ion is too low, the
coo lant could freeze and damage the vehicle heating and engine
coo ling system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the factory for temper ­
atures down to :
• -31 °F ( -35 °C) USA
• - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada .
You can mix the G12 ++ coolan t additive with other additives G12 + or
G12. Always check with your authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Bef ore you che ck anything in the engine compartment , alwa ys
read and heed all WARNING S
~ & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 225.

Checking and filling -
---------------------=----"=---------
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coolant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system,
remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12+ + (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho­
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
engine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result
in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig . 175 Engine
compartment : coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 225.
Turn off the ignition.
Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expan­
sion tank==> fig. 175. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
" max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the
engine compartment illustration=>
page 226.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric
coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto­
Check System =>
page 30will blink until you add coolant and the
level has been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric
coolant level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event
of coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely to add
coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's engine
coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the tune- _..
Vehicle care I I Technical data

_L_T~ir ~e :..:s~ a~n~ d~ w~ h ~e~e~ l~ s '.,_ ______________________________________________ _
Wheel bolts
W heel b olts mus t al wa ys be tigh te n ed to t he cor rect
to rqu e.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory instal led rims . If
d ifferen t rims are fitted, the co rrect w heel bo lts wit h th e rig ht length
and correctly shaped bolt heads m ust be used. This ensures that
w hee ls are fitt ed s ecure ly a nd th at t he brake sys te m funct ions
correctly .
I n certain circums tances, yo u may no t use w heel b olts fr om a
differ ent vehicle -even if it is the same mode l.
&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control, a collision and serious personal injury.
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled,
even if tightened to the specified torque .
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel
bolts and th reads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a
t ole ranc e of ± 7,4 ft lb(± 1 0 Nm). To rque whee l bolts diag onally.
After changing a wheel, the torque must be checked as soon as possible with a to
rque wrench -preferab ly by an authorized Audi
dea ler o r qu alif ied wo rksh op.•
Low aspect ratio tires
Yo ur Audi is fac tory-equip ped wi th l ow asp ect rati o tires. Th ese tires
have been thorough ly tested and been selected specifically for your
mod el for thei r su per b p erfo rma nce, road feel an d handl in g u nder
a variety of driving conditions . Ask your author ized Aud i dea ler for
mo re deta ils.
T he low aspec t ra tio o f th ese t ires is ind icate d by a numera l o f 55 or
less in the t ire's size designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the ti re's s idewa ll height in re la ti on to its tread w idth e xpress ed
in percentage. Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
mo re .
The performance of low -aspect -ratio t ires is part icularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres­
sures should be checked at least once a month and alway s before a
long trip=>
page 250, "Checking tire p ressure".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage L ow a spect rati o tires can be damaged more easi ly by impact with
potho les, curbs, gull ies or ridges on the road, particu larly if the t ire
is underinflated.
In orde r to minimi ze the occurrence o f im pact da mage to th e tire s
of your vehicle, we recommend that you observe the fo llowing
p reca utions:
• Always ma intain reco mm ende d inflat io n pressu res . C heck your
tire p ressure every 2, 000 miles (3 ,000 km) and add ai r if neces sary .
• D rive car eful ly on roads with potholes, deep gullies or ridges.
Th e impact from d riving th ro ugh o r ove r such o bstac les can
dama ge you r tires . Impact w ith a curb may also cause da mage to
your tires . .,_

-Al
phab eti ca l ind ex
_.:_.__ ____ _...::.:...::..;.:___ ________________ _
Emergency flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Eme rgency operation
panoramic sliding sunroof . .... ..... 49
Rear lid . .... ... .. .... .... ...... .. 43
Emergency release for selector lever . . . 123
Emergency starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Emergency towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292
Engine 4-cylinder (200 hp) ..... ... .... ... 226
6 -cylinder (250 hp) ............... 227
Coolant .......... .... ....... .... 232
Hood .... ... .. ...... .... ... .... . 224
Starting .... .... .... .... .... 108, 109
Starting with jumper cables ...... . 287
Stopping ... .... .... .... ........ 109
E . ngine compartment . .... .... .... .. .
Safety instructions ...... .... .... .
226
225
Working in the engine compar tment 225
Engine coolant system .............. 232
Adding coolant .... .... .......... 234
Checking coolant level .... .... .... 233
Checking the engine coolant leve l .. 233
Radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Engine coolant temperature
Gauge .............. .............. 9
Engine cooling system
Malfunction ...... .... ....... .... . 30
E . d ngine ata ...... .... ........... .. . 300
Engine hood Closing ......................... 225
Release lever . ............... .... 224
R I . d . e easing an opening .... ... ... .. 224 Engine
oil .... ...... ........ ... .... . 227
Adding ...... ... .. .... .... ...... 230
Additives ....................... 230
Changing .. ............. ........ 231
Check ing the engine oil level .... ... 229
Indications and conditions requiring extra checking .......... ...... ...... 229
Oil consumption ................. 229
Oil grades . .... ...... ... .. .... ... 227
Recommended oil check intervals .. 229
Specification and viscosity ........ 227
Engine oil level ... ..... .. ...... ...... 32
Engine oil pressure (malfunction) ... .. . 31
Engine oil sensor defective ............ 32
Engine speed limitation .. .... .... .... . 32
Environment
B k. . d
rea -in peno .... .... .... .... . . 197
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Disposing of your vehic le battery ... 237
Driving at high speeds . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Driving to minimize pollution and noise .
199
Fuel ............................ 221
Fuel economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Leaks under your vehicle . .... ..... 225
Letting the vehicle stand and warm up ..
200
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid
236
Proper disposa l of
di ra ined engine
coo lant .. .... ... .... .... .... ... 234
Proper disposa l of drained engine oil
230,231
Recycling used engine oil .. .... ... 230 Unleaded fuel
...... ... .. ... .... . 219
What should I do with an old battery?
237
EPC
See Electronic power control . . . . . . . . 13
ESP
See Electronic Stability Program .... 190
Event Data Recorder (EDR) ... .... .... . 190
Expans ion tank 233
F
Fahrenheit
Switching between Fahrenheit and Centigrade . .... .. ... ... .... .... 103
Fan Adjusting the fan speed .. .... .. .. . 103
Cl imate controls ...... ...... .... . 103
Radiator .... .... .... ... .. .... .. . 235
Fastening eyes ... ........ .... .... ... 84
Flat tire Changing ....................... 272
Floor mats . ....... ..... ... .... .... . 132
Fog lights, front ...... .... ... ... ... .. 56
Folding master key with remote control . 35
Foot pedals . ... .. .... .... ...... .... 132
For the sake of the environment
Gasoline fumes and the environment 221
Letting your engine warm up . ..... . 109
Reducing engine noise by upshifting
early ... .. .... .... ... .... .... .. 8, 9
Refueling .. ........... ........ .. 221